ASD Flashcards
what are the 5 disorders included in the ASD umbrella
aspergers retts syndrome childhood autism pervasive developmental disorder pervasive developmental disorder NOS
what are the impairments in ASD
social communication social imagination social interaction repetitive behaviour restricted interest non social skills
what is social communication like in ASD
generally good language skills
difficulty grasping underlying meaning, jokes, idioms, metaphors and sarcasm
voices often monotonous, accented
narrow interests dominate conversations, lack of reciprocity
language pedantic and idiosyncratic
difficulty sharing thoughts and feelings
what is social interaction like in ASF
difficulty picking up non verbal cues
appear self focused and lacking empathy- actually trying to figure out social situations
continually struggle to make and sustain relationships
what is social imagination like in ASD
hard to think flexibly/ abstract
hard to understand other peoples points of view, take things literally
difficulty applying knowledge and skills across different settings
difficulties projecting themselves into the future/ planning sensible goals
what repetitive behaviours can occur in ASD
stereotyped or repetitive movements/ phrases
insistence on sameness, inflexible routines, ritualised behaviours
highly restricted, fixated interests
hyper/ hypo reactivity to sensory input
which gender is ASD more common in
boys 5:1 but more girls missed as present differently
how common in ASD
1-2 %
what are the theories of gender in ASD
sex hormones important in early brain development
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) levels are reduced in females with Asperger’s syndrome, pointing to higher levels of free testosterone
Studies in girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, (prenatally exposed to high levels of testosterone) showed more traits of ASD and higher levels of Gender dysphoria
very common to get gender identity issues with ASD patients
what causes ASD
multifactorial links to: rubella in pregnant mother tuberous sclerosis fragile X syndrome encephalitis untreated PKU
perinatal stress
how heritable is ASD
very 35-90%
what chromosomal abnormalities are involved in ASD
deletion, duplication, inversion
how is the brain different in ASD
frontal lobes, amygdala and cerebellum appear pathological
larger amygdala - severe anxiety, worse social skills
how is ASD diagnosed in children
speech and language difficulties:
- dont babble/ vocal sounds
- echolalia
- non verbal bahviour difficulties
lack of awareness/ interest in other children
struggle to make friends
gravitate to older/ younger children
can either be active and aloof (hyper, cant express themselves) or passive (withdrawn)
tend to play alone
difficulties with empathy, conversations, imaginative play
routines
may flap hands/ flick fingers when excited or upset
repetitive movements
sensory processing difficulties
what sensory processing difficulties can exist in ASD
senses can be over or under stimulated
taste- restricted diet
smell- toileting problems
sound- magnified, cant cut out background noise
touch- difficulties brushing/ washing hair, only wear certain types of clothing- esp on hands or feet
sight- depth perception problems, sleep problems as light sensitive
